Your child’s score report looks different this year because the test is different. Last spring, New Jersey moved its ELA and Math tests to a computer-adaptive format called NJSLA-A. Here is how to read the new report, and what not to compare.
What changed in the test
The test now adjusts to your child. It starts with questions of medium difficulty. After each group of questions, it chooses harder or easier ones based on how your child answered. Your child must answer every question before moving on. The writing task did not change. It is still one essay, and it is not adaptive.
Why the score looks so different
The old reports used scores from 650 to 850. The new reports use a new scale. Grade-level tests now show four-digit scores, mostly in the 1300s to 1600s. Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II show scores around 2300 to 2600. The state also set new cut scores for each level in September 2026.
| On the report | 2025 (old NJSLA) | 2026 (NJSLA-A) |
| Score scale | 650 to 850 | New four-digit scale, by grade and course |
| Performance levels | Levels 1 to 5 | Levels 1 to 5, same names, new cut scores |
| Skill areas | Five ELA and four Math areas | Three areas per subject: Below, Near or Within, Above Expectations |
| Writing | Writing score from 10 to 60 | Rubric points out of 5, next to a “Just Proficient Mean” |
| Growth (SGP) | 1 to 99 | 1 to 99, still reported |
Three things worth comparing
The first is the performance level. Levels 4 and 5 mean your child is on track for the next grade.
The second is your child’s score next to the state, district and school averages printed on the report.
The third is the Student Growth Percentile. It compares your child with New Jersey students who had similar scores before. A 62 means your child did as well as or better than 62 percent of those students. The state says growth still works across the format change.
One thing not to compare
Do not compare last year’s number to this year’s number. An 831 last year and a 1622 this year are on different scales. A higher number does not mean your child doubled their skills.
Reading the writing score
The report shows rubric points out of 5. Next to it is the “Just Proficient Mean.” That is the average writing score of students who landed right at the Level 4 line. If your child scored above it, their writing is ahead of a just-proficient student.
What a strong report looks like
One of our 7th-grade MLC students shows how to read a report well. Last year she was Level 5 in both subjects, but her Math score was just 4 points over the Level 5 line. This year, on the new test, she was Level 5 in both again. Her Math score sat well inside Level 5, and she was Above Expectations in all seven skill areas. Her growth percentiles were 92 in ELA and 79 in Math. Same level, but the growth and skill areas show she got stronger. That is why it pays to read past the level.
Questions to bring to the teacher
Ask which skill area needs the most attention this year. Ask whether the result matches what the teacher sees in class. If a skill area says Below or Near, ask what practice at home would help most.
